Are Biden’s Auto-Pen Pardons Even Legal? + Trump’s Massive Shift on Ukraine

Summary

Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary: “Were Biden’s Auto-Pen Pardons Even Legal? + Trump’s Massive Shift on Ukraine”

Release Date: July 15, 2025

In this compelling episode of the Ruthless Podcast, hosts Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, Comfortably Smug, and John Ashbrook delve into two major political controversies: the legality of President Joe Biden’s auto-pen pardons and former President Donald Trump’s strategic shift concerning the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The discussion is rich with analysis, insider perspectives, and sharp commentary, providing listeners with a thorough understanding of these pressing issues.

---

1. Biden’s Auto-Pen Pardons: Legal Implications and Accountability

Overview: The episode kicks off with a heated discussion on President Biden’s recent use of auto-pen signatures to issue pardons and commutations. The hosts question the legality and transparency of these actions, highlighting concerns about accountability within the administrative state.

Key Points:

• Definition and Usage of Auto-Pen: Michael Duncan [00:00]: Describes the auto-pen as a tool used by bureaucrats to sign documents automatically, raising concerns about President Biden not being personally involved in the pardon decisions.

• Notable Cases:

  • Gerry Lundergan’s Pardon: Josh Holmes [10:10]: Discusses how Gerry Lundergan, involved in corrupt campaign financing, received a pardon despite not being charged with direct wrongdoing.

  • Other High-Profile Pardons: Josh Holmes [16:45]: Highlights pardons for figures like Anthony Fauci and Valerie Biden Owens, questioning the President’s direct involvement.

• Evidence of Auto-Pen Use: Josh Holmes [17:09]: Presents graphical evidence showing identical signatures across multiple pardons, suggesting the use of an auto-pen. Quotes Michael Duncan [13:32]: "This is so explosive... essentially an admission of everything that we've been saying about Joe Biden."

• Legal and Ethical Concerns: John Ashbrook [08:06]: Raises doubts about Biden’s capacity to sign personally, implying that aides may be making decisions without the President’s full awareness.

Notable Quotes:

• Josh Holmes [14:12]: “It's completely insane to me that we're dealing with this kind of thing in this day and age.”
• Michael Duncan [22:26]: “The Democrat dream was an administrative state... afraid of accountability.”

---

2. State Department Layoffs: Dismantling the Administrative State

Overview: Transitioning from pardons, the hosts examine the recent layoffs at the State Department. They argue that these cuts signify the end of a bureaucratic era dominated by left-leaning officials focused on global activism over domestic priorities.

Key Points:

• Mass Firings: Josh Holmes [25:30]: Details the dismissals of hundreds of State Department employees, many of whom were involved in areas like human rights and democracy advocacy.

• Symbolic Messages: Michael Duncan [28:44]: Describes farewell notes left by departing employees, emphasizing messages like “resist fascism” and lamenting the end of their missions.

• Impact on Foreign Policy: John Ashbrook [30:06]: Criticizes the previous administration’s focus on international activism, suggesting that the new leadership will prioritize American interests over global interventionism.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Duncan [28:40]: “It has to be the most dramatic thing I've ever read in my entire life.”
• Josh Holmes [31:05]: “All the people were up to some form of activism that got funded by American taxpayers.”

---

3. Trump’s Strategic Shift on Ukraine: Engaging NATO Allies

Overview: The conversation shifts to former President Trump’s foreign policy maneuvers regarding Ukraine. The hosts praise his pragmatic approach, contrasting it with Biden’s inconsistent strategies that have led to prolonged conflict and economic strain.

Key Points:

• Peace-First Approach: Josh Holmes [65:00]: Explains Trump’s focus on achieving long-term peace through practical measures rather than rigid doctrines.

• Weapon Sales Through NATO: Michael Duncan [62:20]: Discusses how the U.S. is selling $10 billion worth of weapons to NATO allies, who then supply Ukraine. He views this as an effective strategy that aligns American manufacturing with foreign policy goals.

• Economic Sanctions: Josh Holmes [63:12]: Details Trump’s implementation of secondary tariffs on nations purchasing Russian oil, aiming to economically isolate Russia and compel negotiation.

• Boxing in Russia: Josh Holmes [64:00]: Argues that these measures are putting Russia in a tighter spot, reducing its ability to maneuver diplomatically.

Notable Quotes:

• Comfortably Smug [66:37]: “Donald Trump getting what he got out of NATO for their own defense of Europe. Like, just be happy.”
• Michael Duncan [62:20]: “America is selling weapons. Right. Made in America weapons are being sold and then these NATO countries distribute it to Ukraine. That's a win-win.”

---

4. The Debate on Family Snubbing: Insights from a NYT Opinion Piece

Overview: In a lighter yet poignant segment, the hosts discuss a New York Times opinion article that questions whether it’s time to stop snubbing elitist liberal family members. They dissect the article’s satirical take on inter-family political tensions, using it to illustrate broader cultural divides.

Key Points:

• Analysis of the Article: Comfortably Smug [34:20]: Reads excerpts that mock the idea of severing family ties over political disagreements, highlighting the absurdity of such actions.

• Hosts’ Reactions: John Ashbrook [36:29]: Criticizes the notion, asserting that true conservatives embrace dialogue rather than snubbing, finding amusement in the article’s exaggerated stance.

• Reflection on Modern Left: Comfortably Smug [41:34]: Points out the lack of critical thinking and excessive reliance on historical references to justify ostracizing others.

Notable Quotes:

• Josh Holmes [43:03]: “This is an indictment and an admission. Like, this guy is the worst person ever.”
• John Ashbrook [46:04]: “It’s a genuine window into the liberal insanity.”

---

5. Light-Hearted Segments: Golfer Fights and UNO in Casinos

Overview: Adding humor to the episode, the hosts share amusing anecdotes about a golfer fight and the bizarre introduction of UNO games in Las Vegas casinos. These segments provide a break from intense political discourse, showcasing the hosts' camaraderie and wit.

Key Points:

• Golfer Fight: Josh Holmes [68:25]: Recalls a fight at a golf course, highlighting both the chaos and the humor in the aftermath.

• UNO in Casinos: Josh Holmes [69:39]: Reports on casinos introducing UNO as a non-wagering event to attract families, critiquing the move as both dorky and opportunistic.

• Playful Banter: The hosts engage in humorous exchanges about gambling habits and the absurdity of combining family games with casino environments.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Duncan [70:01]: “This is the dorkiest shit ever. Pathetic.”
• John Ashbrook [73:27]: “We should get Matt on the show.”

---

6. Listener Comments and Community Engagement

Overview: The hosts feature listener comments that echo their advocacy for strict law enforcement against leftist extremism. These contributions reinforce the podcast's commitment to addressing real-world issues through community interaction.

Key Points:

• Enforcement of Law: Josh Holmes [51:12]: Reads comments urging for the enforcement of laws against violent leftist actions, emphasizing accountability and consequences.

• Support for Trump’s Policies: Listeners share sentiments supporting Trump’s approach to border security, crime reduction, and economic policies, aligning with the hosts’ viewpoints.

Notable Quotes:

• Mamaya311 [51:12]: “Just start doling out the consequences. The time for discussion is over.”
• Grillian242 [52:07]: “The Trump presidency has been exactly what is needed... The results speak for themselves.”

---

7. Conclusion and Call to Action

Overview: Wrapping up the episode, the hosts encourage listeners to engage with the podcast by subscribing, commenting, and participating in future discussions. They reiterate the importance of holding their political adversaries accountable and supporting policies that prioritize American interests.

Closing Remarks: Josh Holmes [75:32]: “When you like and subscribe to the Ruthless Variety program, and then you leave a little comment on our question of the day, we read them all, we summarize them, we ingest them, and then we provide a little handful of examples that we think best illustrate not only the point of view, but some solid takes.”

Final Quote: Josh Holmes [76:15]: “Keep the faith, hold the line, and own the libs. We'll see you Thursday. Stay Ruthless.”

---

This episode of the Ruthless Podcast offers a blend of in-depth political analysis, sharp critique of current administrations, and engaging community interaction, all wrapped in the hosts' signature unabashed style. Whether dissecting controversial presidential actions or sharing moments of levity, the podcast provides listeners with a comprehensive and entertaining take on contemporary conservative discourse.

Transcript

[Michael Duncan]

The Democrat dream was an administrative state, a nameless administrative state of bureaucrats and bureaucracies that decide every aspect of your life. And we lived through that and we saw that. And then on their way out the door, the administrative state strikes again. And they get themselves all pardons because one thing they're afraid of most is accountability.

[Josh Holmes]

Is it legal to have an auto pen signature? An auto pen pardon? Preemptive pardon, by the way, none of these people, other than Gerry Lonergan and a handful of others who had been sent away, were actually charged with anything. He was just trying to prevent, you know, justice. Why does the United States pay higher drug prices than other countries? Because America's the only country in the world where 340B hospitals mark up drug prices and PBM middlemen charge billions in hidden fees. Meanwhile, Americans subsidize the research and development for new cures. Other countries benefit but don't pay their fair share. Crack down on the middlemen. End the free riding, lower drug prices. Go to balancethescales.org to learn more. Paid for by pharma. Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

[Michael Duncan]

Keep the faith, hold the line, and own the libs.

[John Ashbrook]

It's time for our main event.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, if it isn't a good Tuesday to you, and welcome back to the Ruthless Variety Program. I'm Josh Holmes along with comfortably smug Michael Duncan and John Ashbrook. Left to right across your radio dial. As always, we got a hell of a show. Thank you for all of you for tuning in last week. I think we did three quality little submissions and we're getting back into it. We've got a lot to laugh about here. Right up the front. Turns out the auto pen thing, you know, Biden with all the commutations that they get, you know, we all suspected that he probably wasn't up to the job signing. His name, I felt like, was maybe a bar below. Even the.

[Michael Duncan]

Couldn't even do that.

[Josh Holmes]

Couldn't, couldn't. But there's been a lot of news here made over the weekend and into Monday that we're gonna cover today on the auto pen. We also got some other stuff here. State Department, well, they laid off a few people. Turns out, like the trans studies in Tanzania. Now they found out that maybe that's not the best use of taxpayer dollars. So democracy's over.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, no.

[Josh Holmes]

It's over.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, guys.

[Josh Holmes]

They had to fire a couple of people. And so then that's it, I guess. We just pack our bags and go back to England.

[Michael Duncan]

It was incredible. Just. It was two things. It was incredible. Seeing the tantrum from the folks who were let go made it extremely clear these are the right cuts. And then the tantrum from the journos was just icing on the cake.

[Josh Holmes]

It's just so. It's so good. And then, you know, look, there's news. There's real news from the president who had a NATO summit. It wasn't a summit, but a NATO meeting on Monday where he talked about some Ukraine stuff. We're gonna contextualize some of that and give you a good idea of what's going on. Turns out it's not a good idea to piss off Donald Trump in the world. World community.

[Michael Duncan]

Doesn't work out well.

[Josh Holmes]

Doesn't work out well.

[Michael Duncan]

It's a track record of it working very badly.

[Comfortably Smug]

Think people would learn this?

[Josh Holmes]

It would. And then we got some variety and some things to laugh about here. But it's going to be a very good show. I think we need to start with the auto pen. Yes, fellas, there was a big story that was unearthed over the weekend where Biden says he made the clemency decisions that were recorded at the time by auto pen. The New York Times did it, Axios did it, all kinds of different things, but that's not really the way it was portrayed to the American people. Remember, these are very controversial, end of the term type clemency decisions, where the president insisted and his staff insisted that he was very involved in all of this because they were controversial. And it was like, wow, that goes totally against type for everything that Joe Biden said he was gonna do, starting with the pardoning of his son, all the way through with, like, Fauci and the rest of them. And you were like, wow. I mean, he repeatedly assured the American people he wasn't gonna do that, and then he pardoned them. And so there was a big question as to, like, what his level of involvement of all that was. And the Trump administration took control and looked at the signatures for these things and were concerned, and they unearthed the idea that perhaps he wasn't in control of it, that perhaps they were signed by an auto pen. And for those of you who haven't been involved in, like, political capacity or, you know, big corporations do this. An auto pen operates in many different ways. Today's day and age, it's mostly like a graphic thing, but in politics, and I think this is still the way it works in the White House. I don't know because I haven't seen it, but I know when I worked in the Senate in auto pen, you literally wrote your Signature. And then they created a literal pen that you put the thing into that would operated on this rotational basis where it just wrote your signature. It was like the most medieval looking thing I've ever seen in my entire life. And I couldn't believe that's how they signed, like constituent letters and stuff in the United States Senate. And I think they kind of do that at some level in the White House. I'd be interested to know the answer to that because that's not, that's not spelled out. But either way, what was very clear based on the articles is that they used an auto pen for some of these incredible decisions that the President himself, Joe Biden, said he was extremely involved in. And then he said. So Biden was initially interviewed by the New York Times on this, said he had orally granted all the pardons and commutations at the end of his term, calling President Trump and other Republicans liars for claiming that they had used the auto pen.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. So, okay, so number one, I think it's incredible that Joe Biden, you know, he's kind of trying to stay out of the limelight here after, you know, he was forced out by Barack Obama and George Clooney. Right. Kamala replaced him and then ate shit and lost to Donald Trump. But that he chooses this moment to defend his legacy.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. On the auto pen, he's like, you know, liars.

[Comfortably Smug]

There's been a lot of stories here in the last couple of weeks that have not been the best for Republicans. And so it's like Joe Biden, like Leroy Jenkins just comes out. He's like, no, let's make it about me and the auto pen. I'm going to do a full interview. And the liars thing, I think is fascinating here. I want to read a more extended clip from that because it's instructive, I think, to this entire conversation.

[Josh Holmes]

Please.

[Comfortably Smug]

This is from that interview on Trump and other Republicans saying Biden was incapacitated and his aides abused the auto pen. They're liars. Biden said. They know it. They know for certain. I mean, this is. Look what they. They've had a pretty good thing going. Going here. They've. They've had a pretty good thing going here. And then his next line is, they've done so badly, they've lied so consistently, almost everything they're doing that the best thing they can do is try to change the focus and focus on something else. And this is a. I think that's what this is about. Okay, so not exactly, oh, the board's Weighed in. Not exactly at his best.

[Josh Holmes]

The board is weighed in.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, that's valuable. He said everything in that quote except, nurse, I need help right now. I'm. I am not convinced that it is Joe Biden doing Leroy Jenkins. I have some suspicion that the same aides who ruined our country over the four years that he was incapacitated and signed the auto pen, maybe without his knowledge, were the people who are pushing this because they're the ones who cared so much about all of the pardons that were granted under that auto pen.

[Comfortably Smug]

I just think it's particularly funny to use this opportunity to call Republicans liars. Like, you would think if you had some sort of, like, cognitive ability in your brain or a memory of what you had done around this whole pardon thing, you might not pick the pardon issue to be a time to say that Republicans are liars. Might I remind you what Joe Biden said back in June of 2024? This is him talking about at a G7 summit. I said, I'll abide by the jury decision, and I will do that, and I will not pardon him. Meaning Hunter Biden, liar. Look, the board is active today.

[Josh Holmes]

It's a double board. No, I mean. But that is the basis of why this whole thing has gone completely off the rails, is that we all saw that debate performance that confirmed the suspicions, for those of us who wanted to pay attention over the previous three years, that this is not a man at the wheel and that there were aides that were running a whole bunch of things. And then you had, like, the per first person testimony from President Biden himself, and a whole bunch of things saying, I would never do this. I would never do this. And then all of a sudden, the whole thing shows up. And it's not just Hunter Biden. I mean, we're talking about Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley, Valerie Biden, Owens, Sarah Jones, Biden, Jerry Lundigan, Jerry Lundergan.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Which for those of you who aren't OG listeners, Gerry Lundergan was the father of Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Senate candidate in 2014, that we took an interest in. And much of this crew worked on a campaign against her. And it turned out, like, halfway through that, well, we couldn't help but notice the fact that the entirety of her campaign was being funded off the books. It didn't show up in FEC reports, which are required to report all the expenses of a campaign, but you had, like, buses and airplanes and helicopters that were all of a sudden, like a part of her campaign apparatus that never showed up in the FEC report. And so it turns out there was a number of stories that were just asking questions. And, well, old Jerry didn't have a lot of answers. And it turns out he'd been in trouble with this kind of thing before, had gotten himself off, but now that his daughter was running, he was a little, I would say, taking more risk than he would ordinarily take. And he got rung up. FEC complaint led to a DOJ investigation, led to a full conviction of the fact that he was running his daughter's campaign off the books. He, he gets sent to the brig, which, by the way, if you're in politics, this is the thing that you actually try to prevent. It's the reason why you have an fec, is that people don't just corruptly fund from their own pockets in a way that you don't know as the voter how they're executing this campaign. And he gets rung up, sent to jail. Well, she ran for Senate. And so of course, Gerry Lonergan got himself a pardon from Joe Biden. Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

Our nation is standing up for American.

[Josh Holmes]

Workers, restoring the pride of making products here at home. That's what we do every day. We're America's beverage companies, making American products with American workers in America's hometowns, delivering brands that have been enjoyed for generations, creating good paying jobs, the kind that require only a strong work ethic.

[Comfortably Smug]

Because we believe in the promise of.

[Josh Holmes]

America and the people who make it. Great, hardworking Americans know when it's time to roll up our sleeves and get the job done. Now is the time to unleash our nation's energy, to create jobs, secure our future, and make life better, more affordable, and full of opportunity for all Americans. That's the power of America's oil and natural gas. Learn more at lightsonenenergy.org, paid for by the American Petroleum Institute. But if you look at all of these things in the way that they had presented themselves, the real question that the Trump administration surfaced at the time is whether they're legal. Is it legal to have an auto pen signature? An auto pen pardon? Preemptive pardon. By the way, none of these people, other than Gerry Lundergan and a handful of others who had been sent away, were actually charged with anything. He was just trying to prevent, you know, justice.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, to me, this is so explosive right here. This, when I saw this, it knocked my socks off because it's essentially an admission of everything that we've been saying about Joe Biden. It says, Mr. Biden did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that apply to large numbers of people he needs confirmed. Rather, after extensive discussion of different possible criteria, he signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine. So.

[Josh Holmes]

So they approved.

[Michael Duncan]

He wasn't like, I'm gonna pardon this guy. I'm gonna pardon this guy. I'm gonna pardon this guy. They're all confirming him and his aides that he was like, well, you know, you know, let's let out the folks who are my friends. They're like, say no more. Auto pen away, dude.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, look, the assistants who drafted the blurbs that you're talking about here, blurbs referencing either broad categories of people or specific individuals, were not in the room during these discussions when Biden, according to the list of meeting participants, actually agreed to any of these things. The email, this is according to New York Times, the emails imply that Mr. Siskel and Mr. Zients, that was Zients was his chief of staff at the time, relayed what Mr. Biden had said to the assistants who then documented it.

[Michael Duncan]

They just admitted it. They just admitted it, dude.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, it's completely insane to me that we're dealing with this kind of thing in this day and age. Like, you want to talk about the worst possible transparency of any administration? You got a president today who every single decision he's ever made, for better or worse, he goes out and does a 15, 20 minute press conference where he asks and answers every single question that anybody has to say. And like, you can get all outraged about what he says, or you can be all excited about what he says, but you know, it. These people had an invalid in the White House that everybody was concerned whether he would wake up before noon. And then they just auto. They're like, here's a broad group of.

[Michael Duncan]

People that's so wild. I mean, it's a complete admission of all the things that Trump said. He was like, this is. This guy is not in control. His aides are running the show, and all of them just admitted it.

[Comfortably Smug]

Okay, so. So I guess just to play devil's advocate here, yeah, you can make an argument like if you were talking about one of those categories, like, you know, we're going to issue pardons for like minor marijuana offenses for this category of people. And it's, you know, it's got 500 people in it, and he's not going to individually sign on all of those. Maybe, maybe in that, in that use case, if it was correctly authorized by the President United States, you could Use the auto pen on those 500 in the same way that you might with constituent letters. But the auto pen wasn't limited to those use cases. No, here, I mean, let's, let's put up the clip. The first clip 1. This is an animation of auto pens for some pretty high profile pardons. Okay. Yep. So that's Biden's family pardon, the Fauci pardon, the General Milley pardon, the Jerry Lundgren pardon, all of those pardons, major pardons, all done.

[Josh Holmes]

Possibly identical signature. I mean, that's the. So if you're an audio only listener, what we just provided was a merging of all of the signatures that were done for the pardons that you just outlined into a centerpiece. And there were a perfect overlap on all of them. Perfect. Now, maybe he is incredibly specific about it, but he did sign one, didn't he, Michael?

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, he signed one. And turns out it's the most revealing one and the only one he really cared about. Let's put up that graphic. Oh, yeah, he signed Hunter Biden's pardon.

[Josh Holmes]

And look at how fucked up that signature is. Totally fucked.

[Comfortably Smug]

That is not auto pen.

[Josh Holmes]

The B.

[Comfortably Smug]

He didn't even get the B right in his own name.

[John Ashbrook]

Hey, is the I dotted over the N?

[Michael Duncan]

Can we just put that back up?

[Comfortably Smug]

Can we put this back up?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it is. Yeah. There's an I dotted over here.

[Michael Duncan]

He was close. He was about four letters away.

[Josh Holmes]

Is pretty close to a D. And.

[John Ashbrook]

There'S an accent mark over there.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, well, maybe it's a tilde.

[Michael Duncan]

Senor.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, you know, but he was quite fond of immigration.

[Comfortably Smug]

Doesn't that really sort of tell you everything?

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Michael Duncan]

The only one he cared about was like, well, gotta get the family business.

[Comfortably Smug]

I don't actually care about any of these things.

[Josh Holmes]

He signed one thing, but he's still lying about it.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

It's incredible. All right, so President Trump actually talked about this at a press conference yesterday that I think helps illuminate sort of the view that we have and a lot of people have on all of this. If we could play that clip. Now you're talking about the auto pen. Look, the auto pen, I think, is maybe one of the biggest scandals that we've had in 50 to 100 years. This is a tremendous scandal. And I know the people on the other side of the. See that desk, that Resolute desk. Unfortunately, he used it before me. But, you know, we have our choice of seven desks.

[Michael Duncan]

They're all beautiful.

[Josh Holmes]

But I chose the Resolute and so did he. Unfortunately, but the people on the other side of the Resolute desk, I know them, Lisa, the whole group. And they're no good. They're sick people. And I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing. I guarantee it. Hmm. He knew nothing. I guarantee it. And that's the big fear.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, he would know. We all saw that debate. It was like a year ago, where he was like, I don't understand what he just said there. And I don't think he did either. I mean, like, he was right.

[Josh Holmes]

He was claiming to be a 7 handicap or something like that.

[Michael Duncan]

That was the best. He was like, I'm gonna hold you accountable because that's a bridge too far.

[Josh Holmes]

I can't have. It simply can't happen, bro.

[Michael Duncan]

Don't ever say you could be engulf.

[Comfortably Smug]

I just think. I just think the quality of the signature, the one time he actually had to do it tells you everything you need to know about all the signatures. He didn't have to.

[Josh Holmes]

Can we pop that back up one more time? This is a signature. If you are not a video viewer of this, you will not believe how bad this is. This is the kind of thing that you would ask for a fresh sheet of paper.

[Michael Duncan]

Again, dude just printed it out.

[Josh Holmes]

It's like, well, the B doesn't work. There's a dot over the N, throws the junior in there. But it's like it has no resemblance at some level from.

[Michael Duncan]

Also imagine you're probably. Poor guy. He's probably, like, in a panic. You've got Hunter across the desk. He's slapping you a couple times. He's checking his watch. The movers are grabbing shit, they're moving it out of there. He's like, you need to hurry this shit up, dad.

[Josh Holmes]

Hurry this shit up.

[Comfortably Smug]

Look, I don't know if it was done, you know, with dotting the right eyes, crossing the right T's. Obviously, Biden was incapable of that. But I'm. Ostensibly, there's somebody at the White House who's making sure the auto pen was used in the correct way. Probably not. Who knows? But it is a microcosm of the whole problem of the Biden four years in the White House. And that is there were major policy decisions that were outsourced. As Ashbrook always says, not to Joe Biden, but to these people who are running the country.

[John Ashbrook]

To Elizabeth Warren Status Warren, Bernie Sanders people. This was the great deal that Joe Biden cut with the left wing of his party when he got the nomination back in 2020, that they would be.

[Josh Holmes]

In charge that he would acquire dementia soon after his. He would take the oath of office.

[Comfortably Smug]

And then just why do you think he accepted the deal?

[Josh Holmes]

Go to a place for mom. Right?

[John Ashbrook]

Exactly. He'd live out his lifelong dream of holding the title of president of the United States even if he isn't functionally the guy doing the job.

[Josh Holmes]

But it does raise a good question about whether any of it's legal.

[Michael Duncan]

That's the question I wanna know. I don't know in my mind, boy, if the guy doesn't know where he is and you have a machine signing for him, I mean, get outta here.

[Josh Holmes]

It's just why you gotta. There has to be some kind of an investigation. I understand. For those of you who are like, what does this have to do with like my economic well being and my safety and security? Believe me, the Trump administration's working on all that. So this isn't backward looking so much as is preventing the next case, the next possibility. Because if you have an administration like the Biden administration that was running on autopen, literally, you don't know the faces and the names of the decision makers on that, who have no accountability whatsoever, certainly weren't elected. And all of a sudden we have some pretty far reaching stuff. Remember, these are preemptive pardons. You know, it's not just about getting honor out of the.

[Michael Duncan]

That's the thing is this is about account. Because the Democrat dream was an administrative state, A nameless administrative state of bureaucrats and bureaucracies that decide every aspect of your life. And we lived through that and we saw that. And then on their way out the door, the administrative state strikes again and they get themselves all pardons because one thing they're afraid of most is accountability. Yeah, exactly right.

[John Ashbrook]

That's exactly right.

[Josh Holmes]

Dude. Can you guys imagine first of all how bad it must have been in the oval Office in the waning days? Like, first of all, your dreams are shattered, right? Like the guy that you thought you could just shove through, like it all blew up in the summer. And then you learned to hate your vice president because you know, she took it all on in the closing days.

[Michael Duncan]

I bet they felt great. They're like, we all knew Kamala's an idiot.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, I think that there's an element of that, no question.

[Michael Duncan]

But it's still demoralizing to see Hunter slapping Joe around. But then there's, you don't want to see that.

[Josh Holmes]

But then there's business to be done. And at some point, whether it was Zients or whomever, they're like, hey, Listen, there's some serious shit that we need to take care of before we leave.

[Michael Duncan]

So we got to make sure we don't go to jail.

[Josh Holmes]

And then you look across the Oval Office and you see this guy bobbleheading around behind the desk to the extent that he's even there. And you're like, we're gonna need the auto pen on this.

[Comfortably Smug]

The funniest auto pen to me, like, just think about this, all right? Hunter, he signs that pardon. You know, that's the one he cares about. Hunter's in jeopardy, and he's been. He wants to make sure that this guy doesn't get held accountable for any of the things. But then he auto pens the rest of the family.

[Michael Duncan]

That's brutal.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, true. Like. Like, that's tough. What is Thanksgiving like after that?

[Josh Holmes]

No, it makes a Thanksgiving very uncomfortable. You auto pin my pardon.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

And he's like, I don't know, is it in a stack?

[Comfortably Smug]

Also, we were told for four years that, like, this whole idea of the Biden crime family was some sort of, like, right wing fever swamp idea.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And then he blanket pardons other members of the family, people who he found out thanks to, you know, Jamie Comer and all these other investigations that, like, there were all these payments coming through through these, these Chinese funds and stuff to, like, grandchildren, and they get auto bend.

[John Ashbrook]

I don't think their Thanksgiving looks like everybody else's thing.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

I really like the idea that everybody's sitting around a table sharing stories from the year. You know, the patriarch is drinking Ensure in some hospital bed.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

He's not sitting carving a turkey.

[Comfortably Smug]

All that Chinese money gets you a lot of Peking duck, you know. Well, probably not a turkey.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Instead of like, sweet potato, you get a plate of blow.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Or something.

[John Ashbrook]

As long as he got out of the locker.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, something. Listen, it's an incredible story. We're going to stay on it. I'm thinking that Congress might have some additional inquiry.

[Michael Duncan]

I think so.

[Josh Holmes]

That story. But coming up, several hundred fired from the State Department. We're going to show you what that all looked like.

[Michael Duncan]

So good.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, you want to see? This is what you voted for and more right after this.

[John Ashbrook]

President Trump's one big beautiful bill is now the law of the land. A fantastic achievement that will kick start our economy, strengthen immigration enforcement, and unleash American energy. I feel confident saying that no other organization put as much time, effort and money into making this happen as. As my good friends at Americans for Prosperity. Listen to this. Americans for prosperity. Had 1500 meetings with Congress, contacted a million voters, and held more than 750 community events. And now that the bill is passed, AFP plans to defend those who took tough votes to support the president's agenda. That's the kind of grassroots activism Americans for Prosperity is famous for. As we move on to other important issues like spending restraint, it's good to know AFP and its grassroots army is locked and loaded. Want to join a winning team? Check out [e-mail] that's afpvolunteer.com.

[Josh Holmes]

All right, so State Department, I think we've all been well aware that this is, like, the home of the deep state. Right. These are people who are so leftward leaning that their commitment to the international community has far exceeded their commitment to the American taxpayer at some level, that their obstacles to anyone who is attempting to do what President Trump is to do, which is make America first. Right. I mean, their whole job description, as they define it, is basically taking care of the world community. We've had a very significant sea change on all of that. Now, Rubio, interestingly, has taken, like, a very specific approach to all this. He's not doing, like, the Elon hack it off at the head and then ask questions later. Like, he took seven months. Six. Seven months to try to take inventory of what it is that they've got going on there before they make any moves. Now they've made some. Well, democracy is ending. Democracy is ending, folks. If you take a look at graphic 2, what the employees that were leaving left a couple of notes on the walls there at the State Department colleagues, if you remain, resist fascism. Remember the oath you vowed to uphold. Now, unless there's another oath that I'm unfamiliar with that was about the United States of America, which is, of course, not the reason that those people found the exits. Second was here sat America's experts on democracy, human rights. Yes. Which include women's, LGBTQ and minority rights, election security, freedom of expression, privacy, countering corruption, violent extremism and. And disinformation and more. And you've released them and hundreds of their colleagues into the wild. The United States of America, is that.

[Comfortably Smug]

It has to be the most dramatic thing I've ever read in my entire life.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, I was seeing all these.

[Comfortably Smug]

Images pop up like it's their grave, like, headstone.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. So, I mean, they were. They were. They were putting out on desks, like, construction paper and markers and tape to be like, leave a message and tape it to the wall. And it's like this whole joke and meme of how, like, for four years we were ruled by a bunch of theater kids is so true. These were just like a bunch of kindergarteners grown up. It's the most absurd, ridiculous shit that, like, here sat all the experts on democracy to remember to resist fascism. Tape it to the wall. Get your shit and get out of here, man. Get your shit and get out of here. Like, are you for real? Like, let's see what happened under your four years. Well, the world caught fire. The world caught fire. Our border got opened and all of the world's problems came to America. And all of the world's tyrants knew they had free reign because we had a guy who could barely swallow jello sitting in the Oval Office. That's what happened on your watch. The guardians of democracy. All right, now let's see what's happened since there's been a new sheriff in town. Around the world, it looks like dictators are on the run. Yeah, fascism seems to be getting its ass kicked lately. And democracy is not. When Trump, you know, well, Trump won, so democracy must end. We just saw that guy not only win the electoral, but the popular vote. That's what democracy looks like, and he's getting the hell out.

[Josh Holmes]

They are the people that were a target for the way that Americans voted because, like, their tolerance for tyrants extended just as far as their activism and no further. They could tolerate a tyrant all day long, provided they were able to take some grants on trans studies. Yeah, I mean, or, like, have flags, like the LGBT flag above the embassy or what have you. Like, that's what these people became like. I have no doubt that somewhere in there there is a group or a small number of people who are trying to do the right thing that got caught up one way or another, but that's not it. Like, what's it is that the whole system had folded in on itself. That created by the American taxpayers a funded activism across the world.

[Michael Duncan]

That's it.

[Josh Holmes]

That instead of helping American people be safe, have their streets paved, crime go away, secure their borders, their taxes be lower. Like, all of that was not a concern of any of these people because they didn't find themselves in the remit. What did find themselves in the remit was making sure that you had men and women's sports in Tanzania.

[Michael Duncan]

That's the thing is, to me, there was no greater sign that these cuts were right on target, perfectly executed. Then the fact you start seeing these signs pop up because do you know where you see markers and construction paper signs, you see those at rallies you see those from activists. And clearly all these folks getting cut were activists trying to use taxpayer dollars for their activism. They wanted your money to fund their activism. And they're gone now. Thank God.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. I mean, dude, listen, it's like, it's just so obvious. And I hope this continue.

[Michael Duncan]

I hope there's more, More of this.

[Josh Holmes]

I hope Democrats dig in on it.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Because I'd like to have a second and third con. What it is that a lot of these people were up to.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Cuz what you find out is not gonna be good. You're not gonna like it. And I think, look, I think Rubio and Trump and everybody else has done a hell of a service to the American taxpayer on this. Here's my favorite story, fellas.

[Michael Duncan]

This is gonna be my favorite part of the show. Probably.

[Josh Holmes]

This is my favorite story. So you recall on last Friday we had that on Funtimes Friday, I think, about the clown.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. And WaPo.

[Josh Holmes]

It turns out like we've been severely neglecting the opinion pages of the Washington Post and New York Times and for just pure content, because what we found in Two Set Straight Days is just an amazing thing. So New York Times wants to weigh in on all this and get. Get themselves on the program. It's great publicity. Many listeners, right?

[John Ashbrook]

Hottest, most influential podcast in the country.

[Josh Holmes]

That's exactly right.

[Michael Duncan]

That's what I say.

[Josh Holmes]

That's what everybody's saying. Hottest podcast in the country. Anyway, they say, is it time to stop snubbing your right wing family? Which we felt was like amazing. Right in the barrel of the bat of the old ruthless variety program. It goes right back to our Thanksgiving episode from the very beginning and everything else. But Duncan, it seems like this one has taken an additional flare that you've noticed.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, yeah, I mean, obviously it's interesting because they've kind of come full circle. You know, you remember like back during COVID there was just a lot of focus on shunning bully or, you know, Republicans and all of that. And especially in the. Just sort of generally in the age of Donald Trump, it was like, cut ties with your MAGA uncle. You know, like that was sort of their posture in all of this. And now that Donald Trump has won again and like Smug pointed out, he won every single battleground and the popular vote in the electoral college. They've seen the light.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

All it took was all of those things happening again. They've now seen the light. And in particular, this is interesting because it's written here by David Litt, who worked for Obama Speechwriters for Obama in.

[Josh Holmes]

The Obama White House.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. So let me just read here from the article.

[Michael Duncan]

These are gems.

[Comfortably Smug]

This is real. I just want to say here at the top. I'm just reading from the article. I'm not making this up. Not too long ago, I felt a civic duty to be rude to my wife's younger brother.

[Michael Duncan]

Amazing.

[Comfortably Smug]

I met Matt Kapler in 2012, and it was immediately clear we had nothing in common. He lifted weights to death metal. I jogged to Sondheim.

[Michael Duncan]

Amazing.

[Josh Holmes]

God.

[Michael Duncan]

He.

[Josh Holmes]

He jogged to theater.

[John Ashbrook]

Show tunes.

[Josh Holmes]

Show tunes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yes.

[Josh Holmes]

That's.

[John Ashbrook]

He put that in writing.

[Josh Holmes]

That's what happens.

[Comfortably Smug]

He. He jogs to, like Sweeney Todd.

[Michael Duncan]

Can I say.

[Josh Holmes]

Can I say the clown?

[Michael Duncan]

When he first sent that, Duncan, I was reading it really fast, and. And I. I think I was more accurate my interpretation. I read that. I was like. Instead, he said, my wife's. I read as my wife's boyfriend listens to death metal. I was like, sounds like Obama. Sounds like Obama, folks. 100%.

[Comfortably Smug]

Okay, well, so that's just sort of the. That's how he starts it. I got to give the guy credit for one thing. This entire piece is just painfully honest.

[Michael Duncan]

I want to highlight one thing that really got my goat from that section. It was the same part that was just up there where he says, I was one of President Barack Obama's speechwriters and had an Ivy League degree. He was a huge Joe Rogan fan and went on to get his electrician's life.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's just the snooty.

[Michael Duncan]

What a piece of garbage.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Which. Which informed his initial decision to be a dick to him.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Right. Here's somebody.

[Comfortably Smug]

I'm better than you.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, I'm better than you. And this is, in my mind, the encapsulation of the modern left. This guy has had somewhat of a turn to the point where he wants to put it in the New York Times opinion pages. But the New York Times has found it so fascinating that somebody could come around on something like this. It's worth sending it to the world.

[John Ashbrook]

That's right. That an Ivy Leaguer could come around on an electrician.

[Michael Duncan]

A mere electrician. Think about it.

[John Ashbrook]

That's the real American story. Looking, Reaching down to. Get out of here. Get the fuck out of here. The electrician is smarter than the Ivy League person because he's an electrician starring.

[Josh Holmes]

Ivy League stooge, starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. You know what I mean? It's like this is the way. The framework that they.

[John Ashbrook]

He goes on to say something. And I just want to read this before you get to your next one, Duncan, because this fits exactly what you're talking about, Holmes. As it was on the rare and always outdoor occasions when we saw each other, I spoke in disapproving snippets. Work's been good.

[Michael Duncan]

Mm.

[John Ashbrook]

So like, the electrician is supposed to read this guy's mind that like, oh, he must be upset because of COVID and therefore I need to read his mind to understand why he's being passive aggressively upset with me. Like, who acts like this? What normal person acts like this? Only a speechwriter.

[Michael Duncan]

A normal man does this. Dude, come on, man, we already got to deal with half the country that you got to read their mind and then they'll do that. You don't do that to your fellow man. Don't do it. Get out of here.

[Josh Holmes]

You don't do it. You just don't do it. And by the way, it's no cup of tea for this guy to go to Thanksgiving. You know what I mean? Like, can you imagine the argument he's.

[Michael Duncan]

Going to be like, I'm seated next to the mere electrician.

[Josh Holmes]

Guy's like, your brother hates me. Yeah, right.

[Comfortably Smug]

He had the gall to ask him how work was. Like, think about that.

[Josh Holmes]

Exactly.

[Comfortably Smug]

But just to continue on that same vein, because the heart of this, a lot of what he's writing in here is about COVID Right. He said my frostiness wasn't personal, it was strategic.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, yes, very smart.

[Comfortably Smug]

Being unfriendly to people who turned down the vaccine felt like the right thing to do.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

How else could we motivate them to mend their ways? I wasn't the only one thinking this. But in a 2021 essay for USA Today, declared, It's time to start shunning the vaccine. Hesitant, an LA Times piece went further, arguing that to create, quote, teachable moments, it may be necessary to mock some anti vaxxers deaths.

[Michael Duncan]

Dude.

[Josh Holmes]

Dude. I mean, this is. Set aside everything that we've come to know about that period of time as we've talked about one of the dumbest periods of time of all time. This guy's like, well, read the esteemed pages of the USA Today.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, that's right.

[Josh Holmes]

And the LA Times. It's like basically like I stared into a porta potty and it told me X. Yeah, you know what I mean?

[John Ashbrook]

Key validators. Which is what normal people need when they're saying what it is they think. No normal person talking in normal conversation is like, you know what as it was said in the USA Today, in the LA Times, therefore, my argument is correct. It's very defensive.

[Comfortably Smug]

So I read it actually a little bit differently, guys.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, okay.

[Comfortably Smug]

The way I read it was like this. This was him washing his hands of what an asshole he's been. Oh, it's like, it's not my fault.

[Josh Holmes]

Everyone was the LA Times deemed.

[Comfortably Smug]

LA Times was like, we should mock the deaths of other fellow Americans. So yeah, I know I'm admitting to being a complete asshole for no reason to this really nice guy who's asking me like, how work is, but you have to understand, I was gaslit by the LA Times.

[Josh Holmes]

But you don't understand. I picked up a piece of paper that was the equivalent of a diarrhea wipe and I trusted its point of view.

[Comfortably Smug]

I was just a humble Ivy Leaguer who worked. What was I to know?

[Josh Holmes]

What was I to know?

[John Ashbrook]

He continues to wash his hands because he says shunning as a form of accountability goes back millenniums.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, there's history involved.

[John Ashbrook]

No, he did his research in ancient Athens. A citizen deemed a threat to state stability could be ostracized. The left off. And reaches back to ancient Athens for their justification. He goes on, the whole point of Hester Prynne's Scarlet Letter was to show she had voice, violated norms.

[Josh Holmes]

No.

[John Ashbrook]

So now all of a sudden the left is like, oh, well, maybe that was a good thing.

[Michael Duncan]

It's like this book I read in high school also said Scarlet.

[Josh Holmes]

Like they're like, no. So we.

[Michael Duncan]

Is he on X? I'm gonna bully this guy. I'm gonna find this guy if he's online and I'm gonna bully him.

[John Ashbrook]

He's an Ivy Leaguer, he's well read.

[Josh Holmes]

You're gonna engage him. He's gonna be like, hello.

[Michael Duncan]

Oh my God, I'm gonna destroy this dude online.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think what's.

[Michael Duncan]

And I'm gonna find his brother in law, who sounds awesome, by the way.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. He's had to put up with more than anybody.

[Michael Duncan]

Unbelievable.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think what's so funny about it for an Ivy Leaguer and a well educated guy is referencing the Scarlet Letter and Hester Prynne, he hasn't even realized, like he's inverted.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

The lesson of that book, and it's proof of like what I. You know, we always say in criticizing liberals is like, it's not that they don't know anything, it's that they haven't actually learned the cognitive skills to interpret the things they know. They just know facts.

[John Ashbrook]

Critical thinking is something there.

[Comfortably Smug]

Exactly.

[Josh Holmes]

But it's also always in the service of power.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

And in this case, what he's talking about, in the service of power is you're not just taking our word for what's good and what's bad. So, therefore, all the lessons that we should have unlearned by some of history's great tragedies should be applied here.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Not in a tragic way, but in a service to our fellow man.

[Comfortably Smug]

Okay, so are you ready for the turn?

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Here's. Here's the great turn here in this piece. He wanted to learn how to surf. He was taking up surfing, turns out. Matt Gappler, good surfer. This electrician that he looks down on, you know, and has shunned for many years. He's a really good surfer.

[Josh Holmes]

Matt's a good surfer.

[Comfortably Smug]

Finally, he needs something from Matt.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay. All right.

[Comfortably Smug]

Of course.

[John Ashbrook]

He's the athlete in the family.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. I don't know why he'd want to be around somebody who's unvaccinated. Who'd have guessed that this other cat.

[Josh Holmes]

Couldn'T put his feet together on board?

[Comfortably Smug]

Not well coordinated. I'm shocked.

[Josh Holmes]

Weird.

[Comfortably Smug]

Okay, so here's the turn. It helped that in the ocean, our places in the pecking order reversed. Matt's a very good surfer. One might call him, quote, an elite. I am not.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, no shit.

[Comfortably Smug]

According to surfing's unwritten rules, he had the right to look down on me, but he never did. His generosity of spirit in the water made me rethink my own behavior on land.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, my God, dude.

[Michael Duncan]

So, like, straight up, what he says there is. Yes. That's insane. And it's funny. He's like, listen, I'm. I'm nothing but. This dude's like a base surfer. I can barely swim. But the wildest thing, as he opens, he's like, our place is in the pecking order reversed. He's like, whereas.

[Josh Holmes]

No, but he's.

[Comfortably Smug]

Pecking order.

[Michael Duncan]

But that's what I'm saying is like. He's like, it's reversed in the ocean. Whereas in real life, I'm an elite.

[Comfortably Smug]

I'm way better than I'm supposed to.

[Michael Duncan]

Look down on him. Yeah, in the ocean, it's the other way. But he. He's kind enough not to look down on me. He's like, but. But again, the implication is like, but I look down on him, so maybe.

[Josh Holmes]

I shouldn't look that far.

[Michael Duncan]

This is an indictment and an admission. Like, this guy is the worst person ever.

[Comfortably Smug]

This is why I said at the top. I was like, at least he Is honest because he is being like, unbridled in his honesty.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's not that like maybe pecking orders shouldn't exist. It's that, well, it just happened to be reversed in this case in general.

[Josh Holmes]

Rethink the pecking.

[Comfortably Smug]

I know I'm going to rethink my priors. Not that like, elites don't exist, but.

[Josh Holmes]

It'S not to suggest for a second that the pecking order doesn't exist.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

It's that he should ignore the pecking order to be more generous.

[Michael Duncan]

What a weirdo. To a family member, he's just like.

[Comfortably Smug]

This guy's just super normal. He was like, hey, how's work? Hey, I'll teach you to surf. And he's learned this life lesson that should be obvious, kind to other people.

[Josh Holmes]

Can I ask you guys this question? This thing prints and you're in this family.

[Michael Duncan]

Doesn't it make it a thousand times worse?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, doesn't it make it. Cause now he's just actually put words to what you always suspected that he's looked down on you for years.

[Michael Duncan]

The wife, you gotta leave him. You gotta leave this guy. There's no coming back from it. There's no coming back from this. I mean, in the New York Times, this guy has basically pointed out he's like, I spent years mad at my based electrician brother in law who lifts to death metal and surfs.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's the story. Like, that's pretty bad, dude. It's sort of like the political equivalent of OJ's if I did it.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, no, it is.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's like, this is an appropriate thing to write, bro. Why did you ever put pen to paper? Why did you do that?

[Josh Holmes]

I can only imagine it's exacerbated tensions 10,000 times.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, well, so, okay, so, you know, he goes on to say, like, we found common ground through surfing. You know, things that we agreed on. We don't agree on everything, but maybe that's not important. Oh, sweet. Great. You think that's going to be the end of the article, right? Like, I have decided me, the elite Ivy Leaguer that Matt is redeemable, that I can be friends with.

[Josh Holmes]

I'm providing some.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. And then in the kicker, he's like, but like, people like Stephen Miller are irredeemable. And they get.

[Michael Duncan]

Oh, my.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yes.

[Josh Holmes]

That's how he caps.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's like, I learned this great lesson. But then also some people, I have not learned the lesson.

[Josh Holmes]

I don't think that I've read at any point in the last Five years. Anything that perfectly encapsulates the modern left more than this.

[John Ashbrook]

It's a genuine window into the liberal insanity.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it genuinely is. But also this contempt for your just middle America, salt of the earth person who has a job, he fixes an.

[Michael Duncan]

Electrician, which is a job that's actually gonna be around. I don't think there's any jobs for Obama's speechwriters.

[Josh Holmes]

Really.

[Michael Duncan]

Not much demand out there for that. Especially after this.

[Josh Holmes]

After this, imagine, regardless of what your job title is, immediately thinking you're better than somebody like that.

[Michael Duncan]

That's the big dude. It's the centerpiece of the argument against the left. And this guy just completely admitted to all of it. Dude.

[Josh Holmes]

Because it's reinforced off the left side. Just watch MSNBC at night. Like you can see it. They all sit around and they can't wait for their sipping champagne at cocktail parties in Georgetown and Manhattan and chilled Chablis and everything else. Because they all reinforce the idea that they're the smartest people on the planet and everybody else are just rubes who've either been tricked into policies that they don't understand or that they just haven't been effective enough because of some communications falsity.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, misinformation's out.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's a misinformation. It's the Internet, really. If we could get rid of that. Yeah, it would be all fine. It would be the Internet.

[Michael Duncan]

This guy's name was Matt Kappler. K A P, P, L E, R. Let's find him online and believe.

[Josh Holmes]

No, no, no.

[Michael Duncan]

That's a good guy. That's the electrician.

[Comfortably Smug]

Smug. You're being irresponsible.

[Michael Duncan]

So Matt Calper is a good guy. Let's find him and have him join us in bullying this guy. What's the name of the guy? What's the name of the guy?

[Comfortably Smug]

David Litt.

[Michael Duncan]

David Litt. Is that Litt?

[Comfortably Smug]

I think it's Litt.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, whatever his name, you'll be found.

[Josh Holmes]

I do like the inversion of let's raise up old Matt.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Because Matt's got an axe to grind.

[Michael Duncan]

We should get Matt on the show. Matt, if you're listening, Matt might be listening.

[Josh Holmes]

He might be listening.

[Comfortably Smug]

It says in the piece that he's a fan of Joe Rogan.

[Michael Duncan]

Dude. Matt.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, so he's probably a list.

[Michael Duncan]

Come on, Ruthless, tell us about your brother.

[Josh Holmes]

Get you dude in.

[Michael Duncan]

Brother in law. Let's hear about this.

[Josh Holmes]

Let's get ugly with it. Yeah, let's get. I want to know the slights yeah. You know, because it'll help inform what we do in Thanksgiving anyway.

[Michael Duncan]

This is so funny.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh my God. What a.

[Michael Duncan]

What did you think when this weirdo put this letter out? Did your whole family begin laughing at him?

[Josh Holmes]

It's just D bag central, dude. It's just unbelievable. So our leads are our question of the day. Is it time to start snubbing your elitist liberal family? And like, I have two minds of this because the way that we always took the Thanksgiving component was during the era where you were getting that USA Today, LA Times thing where it's like, it's time to draw a hard line and like, snub. Start snubbing your conservative relatives, like, be a dick on purpose because, you know, maybe you can shame them into having another point of view. And so we always provided that other side of the coin, which is, well, how you would handle it if you were hosting the Thanksgiving dinner and that came at you. I'm a feeling that like, look, family is family, right? You're all gonna disagree about stuff and like, Lord knows you're gonna have a million things to divide you or whatever. But like, when you're from places and deal with people like we do, this whole thing is mind blowingly incomprehensible to me.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

The idea that you are like intentionally a dick to some husband of your sister because he doesn't agree with the same politics.

[Michael Duncan]

That's the thing is the central to the fanatical nature of the left now is they've programmed their progressives into believing I'm willing to cut off family for the cause. I worship at the altar of progressive.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, in a more selfish way though, like, I'm anti snub of the liberal family for one reason, and that is think of the content.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Like, here's the thing, like, you can just. Now you can just invert the whole thing on them. Act better than them, you know, patronize them.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Be like, are you absorbing a lot of misinformation on Blue Sky?

[Josh Holmes]

I'm worried.

[Comfortably Smug]

I'm a little concerned about what your information is.

[Michael Duncan]

Are you worried about your weed supply now that the kids have been taken from California?

[Josh Holmes]

There is a fine line between snubbing and being a provocateur.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Which the provocateur, way more fun. Provides a lot of great content.

[John Ashbrook]

There is good fun in that. And I agree with you. Homes, families, family. Family is wealth. But one of the great things about being a conservative is that you're not afraid of being around libs because every time they open their mouth, it confirms that you are right pretty much. And so it is a joy to be around libs because you know that they're going to say things that are absolutely insane.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay. When you like and subscribe to the Ruthless Variety program, and then you leave a little comment on our question of the day, we read them all, we summarize them, we ingest them, and then we provide a little handful of examples that we think best illustrate not only the point of view, but some solid takes. Good stuff. And to do that, we always start with a voice.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay. First One comes from Mamaya311. And Mamaya writes, There was a point when I was a child when my mom stopped reasoning with me and just started enforcing consequences to my actions. That's how you deal with the left. Just start doling out the consequences. The time for discussion is over. The people have spoken by electing djt.

[Michael Duncan]

Man, do I love that.

[Josh Holmes]

That's just good parenting.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, that's it. Right?

[Josh Holmes]

It's just good parenting, but that's right. Yep. We don't need to reason with this situation. You just enforce the law. It's one of the things we were talking about on Friday about how the permission structure that had been granted by the left allowed people to stand on the sides of the street and throw bricks and pieces of road and rocks at federal law enforcement without fear of consequence. And once you have that, you're damn close to anarchy. This is a good comment. I love that. All right, Dunks, what else we got?

[Comfortably Smug]

This is from Grille. How do you say that? Grillian. Grillian242. To stop the violence of the extreme left. Enforce the law. No apologizing, no understanding. If they break the law, they do the time. The activists need to be taught that they will be held accountable for their decisions and the consequences will be theirs as well.

[Michael Duncan]

100%.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, it's totally right. And can we play a clip just to give a little evidence of this? Let's play clip two, if you don't mind, fellas. All right, so these are people. Yeah, this is after the show that we. That we filmed on Friday. This is in Camarillo, California, where there are law enforcement vehicles that are being hit with big chunks of rock street bricks, all kinds of things like breaking windows, moving vehicles, whatever. But it goes right to this comment's point, which is just enforce the law. Like, there is no reason why people would do that if they felt like they would spend the rest of their lives in prison paying for it as a result. But if you've created a permission structure and a lefty jurisdiction where you think you're going to get away with it. It emboldens it.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, when you call something a sanctuary city, when you say you're going to give people amnesty, when you say torching buildings isn't a crime because it's property, not people, it adds up over time. People start to think, well, I'm never going to be held accountable. I can do whatever the hell I want.

[Josh Holmes]

You get the wrong idea, that's for sure. All right, third comment, please. Smug.

[Michael Duncan]

This is from rbridges u9m. Thank you for the Friday show. Only one way that I know of. You stop talking about arresting people and actually do it. I know it'll increase left talking points. Have a plan to deal with these talking points and just do the right thing. Could not agree more. And I think, you know, so far the Trump presidency has been exactly what is needed. Because for so long, Democrats were like, oh, you can't get rid of illegals. Oh, you can't do this. You can't. Everything President Trump has done has been done while the left has been crying about it. And all that we have seen is crime has gone down, the border is effectively sealed shut. Stock market has hit all time highs. Seems like, you know, gas is down 2 bucks, 2 bucks since this time two years ago. Seems like just stop listening to them act on it. You know, the results speak for themselves.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. It becomes a smaller and smaller constituency that it relates to because the rest of the world is seeing the good things that are happening. But again, you go back to California and look what's happened over the weekend. If we can play clip three, please, fellas. It appears a protester fired some kind.

[Michael Duncan]

Of gun at federal agents.

[Josh Holmes]

This happened this afternoon. It was a really chaotic scene at the time. A lot of smoke was being launched at the protesters. And again, it appears a protester fired.

[Comfortably Smug]

Back with that weapon.

[Josh Holmes]

It looks like he fired at least a couple of times. We have not heard about any agents being hurt. Okay, so, but, but that, but it illustrates what we're talking about here. Like the slimmer and slimmer number of people who this stuff is gonna resonate with is a good thing. And that's positive for all the reasons that you just outlined. Smug. But it doesn't actually help law enforcement officers who are in these very slim regions that don't have any consequences to speak of. Like the fact that we haven't seen that guy's face on a mug shot serving 20 to life because of shooting a weapon. At ICE officers tells us there's an awful lot more work to do in terms of enforcing the law, which is what all of our commenters were talking about.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, I mean, these are all federal offenses, though we may not get great partners in some of these left wing jurisdictions, you know, that have elected Soros prosecutors and whatnot. But these are federal crimes.

[Josh Holmes]

Yep.

[Comfortably Smug]

And so the Trump administration needs to make sure these people serve real time.

[Josh Holmes]

They need to go. Yeah, no question about it. All right, so that's our comments. Thanks again. Like and subscribe. And that's how you get them on the show. An update in current news, a big meeting with the NATO secretary Mark Root on Monday. And I know a lot of you listeners have been focused on Ukrainian policy, how we're going to deal with the Russia, Ukraine war. A lot of you were very critical of the way that it had been administered by the Biden administration, us amongst them, and concerned about this continuing sort of American involvement in all of that. And I think Trump, anything you need to know about the way that President Trump sees foreign policy is that he takes the 50,000 foot end goal first. And however you get to that route changes with the environment and the dynamic atmosphere that others input into it. And it's a fundamental change from where the foreign policy establishment in Washington, D.C. and everywhere else has administered American foreign policy like there was for years. You know, I was taught that you just have to have one consistent message out of the United States and drive one consistent thing. And as long as you're consistent, everybody else knows how to navigate. That is fundamentally changed in recent years. Barack Obama for sure. Joe Biden for sure. It's one thing when you're doing the George W. Bush, like dead or alive situation, which is a pretty fundamental choice, but it's quite another when you get 20 years into that war and the red lines get blurred and nobody understands what it is that you're doing there. And all kinds of different stuff. And then like Barack Obama saying no nuclear weapons, but then pallets of cash that are shifted to Hamas and Hezbollah to attack our number one ally in the region, Israel. Like, everything gets super hazy where Trump has taken. And I think one of the reasons why he's had such huge success in the Middle east is he puts the first thing first and everything changes on how you get there based on how people react to it. And you recall during the campaign he was saying like, I'm going to end the Ukrainian Russian war. And I very clearly, I don't think I'm speaking out of school When I'm assessing the way that he thought about it, which is by making Vladimir Putin just the bad guy and Zelensky just the good guy, we had boxed Putin in from being able to have a reasonable conversation about how to settle a conflict. And maybe if we don't use the foreign policy elite's language to suggest one way or another, but we just invite everybody in that we can have a conversation. So that's the way things started. And then Zelensky got out of her skis and being concerned about whether the United States was being too accommodating to Vladimir Putin in Russia. And you saw that Oval Office address where you had JD and the President and Rubio, everybody just like two hand dunking on him, which is what led the foreign policy elite and the journalist community in America to say, like we told you, the guys with Putin. Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Okay.

[Josh Holmes]

Which is nonsense because now you take it forward another three months from that moment and Vladimir Putin. We're not privy to the private conversations that this President has had with the Putin, but whatever it was didn't go well for Putin. Very, very concerned. Donald Trump is extremely angry about the whole thing and suggest, doesn't suggest states that he has basically violated any sort of trust that he had in being able to resolve this resolution.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, there was an interesting little vignette that Trump was talking about. He was talking to Putin and you know, he gets off the phone and Melania is like talking to him and he's like, well, the call went well. And Melania is like, well, they just sent missiles into Kyiv.

[Josh Holmes]

Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

And very foolish of Vladimir Putin to test Donald Trump's resolve and to try to make Trump look like a fool for trying to get to peace is very foolish.

[Josh Holmes]

Foolish. Well, and I think Putin's operating under an understanding of the old America.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

By the say one thing, you stick to it.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean look what happened thing he said was that like he's not happy with Zelensky. And so, okay, that's their new policy. So I'm going to do whatever the hell I like.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

But the inputs that guide that 50,000 foot for peace thing are what control the way that Donald Trump does things. And it's a huge error on Russia's part, a massive error to try to think for a second that he's not going to have a reaction to that. Cuz the peace thing is the peace thing. And if now you're the impediment to that. And like a lot of people will say, oh, it was naive to ever trust Vladimir Putin. Okay, but what did your way do other than a three year war where you're American taxpayer $400 billion deep into sending everything. He thought we'd take another track and see if it worked. It didn't. So now he's got an answer for that.

[Michael Duncan]

And so I love this situation that President Trump has come up with. This to me is absolutely perfect. And I love this foreign policy approach. It says here, a source familiar with the plans tell Axios the US will sell around 10 billion in weapons to NATO allies in the first wave, and then those allies get those weapons to Ukraine. So essentially, America is selling weapons. Right. Made in America weapons are being sold and then these NATO countries distribute it to Ukraine. Perfect. That's great. If you decide to be on the other side of American foreign policy, I think this is the best way is we sell weapons to our allies. Like being a friend of America means you have access to American weapons, we sell you, and then your enemies get the shit kicked out of them. With American weapons. That's a win. Win.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. And so there are several other tools that the United States has used. Biden used none of them effectively. But you heard Trump on Monday talk about secondary tariffs. Essentially what that is is sanctions. Right. And what they're going to do is set a timeline of 50 days for Russia to make some kind of a deal here or come to the table, or they're going to get 100%, what he calls secondary tariffs that impose tariffs on any country that is buying Russian oil. That includes China, that includes India, that includes some of our allies. Right. And so all of a sudden you've boxed Russia in for having an economic impact of people who have sided with Vladimir Putin in this conflict to make it a little bit more of a decision point.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Then it's not just us asking the question to Putin of like, hey man, when do you think we're gonna get to the end of this? Yeah, maybe Xi starts to take an interest.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, you would think they would have to. You would think that they would have to, because now there's an economic component that they've tried to deal with on the regular tariff point and are largely making progress on. But now their guy that they stood with in this Ukraine standoff is causing a complete reversion of any progress that they made and making it economically incredibly difficult to make a deal. And so I think Putin at some level is getting boxed in by the world community. This is how you do it. Right. It's not how all the people who were fired from The State Department would do a deal here.

[Comfortably Smug]

I don't know, a couple more roundtables, get some thought leaders together. They would have figured it out.

[Michael Duncan]

Maybe some construction paper or like sending.

[Josh Holmes]

Him 9 millimeters and hoping that they work their way out of it. Like that's basically, I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm being a little hyperbolic, but that's basically what the Biden administration did, which is send him nothing in order to win a war, but something to just sort of like box up the Russians. And that never worked. It was just a complete end of a pit of spending for the American people. He changed all of that by running it through NATO. Now is a partner en route who says we're willing to buy it. Meaning you're not, you American taxpayer. Not just like a philanthropy here.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

And it's more important to us than it is to you. We've all identified on that. And so we're going to be the administrator of this, which by the way, the eight year goal to get them to 3% and 5% of their GDP spending that they just announced three weeks ago or so is why they can do that. So, like all of this falls into the accomplishment category now. Is it going to work out? I don't know. I mean, it doesn't seem like Putin has any concern for rationality at this point, but it's going to make it harder for him. It's going to make it harder for him. And I just, I think we have on the conservative side drawn too many hard lines on what that conflict means to us because we were concerned about spending taxpayer dollars overseas, because we were. Why are we getting involved in a war that doesn't immediately threaten the United States? All good questions, really good. But also a country that really is a problematic one with Vladimir Putin's Russia that ultimately is going to cause grave damage in that sort of domino chain of events that we saw start with the pulling out of Afghanistan under those circumstances that allows other world leaders across the globe to think America's not gonna do anything about it. And these are the things that matter. But he takes such a pra. I don't think like you're either pro Trump or you're anti Trump on all this stuff. That's just not what it is. Like, it's a pretty pragmatic approach. It's different. Like if you're a hawk, you're a defense hawk. You don't know what to make of this.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, but you should be happy. You should be like just Donald Trump getting what he got out of NATO for their own defense of Europe.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Is a sea change event.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Here.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Like, just be happy.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And these people. Some of these people just can't. Because they just can't give Trump a win.

[John Ashbrook]

Exactly. They can't be happy because they think they're in charge.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

For whatever reason, they think somebody voted for them. But 78 million people in this country voted to put Donald Trump in charge. And thank God for that, because he is doing exactly what Josh is talking about, because he is shaking things up in the establishment, he's shaking things up around the world to deliver peace in a way that some of the old ways were not working.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right.

[John Ashbrook]

And so I think that. I think really what's driving their anger at Trump is that they're not in charge.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right. They're impotent.

[John Ashbrook]

And the reality is, voters put Trump in charge. And thank God.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, it also just, like, throws the whole Biden establishment thing on its head. Right. I mean, these people just fucked this up from the absolute beginning, and they had no way to get out. And I understand that thing. Dude, could they think for a second, they had four long years and they had no way of articulating how this ended. They never once presented to the American people how this whole thing ends. They don't even know what their preferred outcome was. And, like, Trump comes in, like, my preferred outcome is peace here. How do we work through that to get to that? And I think that's just, like, in a modern day, a way more practical way of doing all of this.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. I mean, and you've seen the reaction from the head of NATO. I mean, that guy could not be more thrilled.

[Josh Holmes]

He's got a real partner there. Which says something.

[John Ashbrook]

It does say something. I mean, he's actually working with these guys. And the previous administrations did not have that sort of relationship with our European allies.

[Josh Holmes]

No, no. It went the other way. All right, you guys ready for some fun?

[Comfortably Smug]

Yes.

[Josh Holmes]

You know that golfer clip?

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. We played it last week, the golfer fight.

[Josh Holmes]

So I saw. I saw that the guy who got his ass kicked, like, did a little mea culpa, but I was real drunk And I played 36 holes. And, like, I'm real sorry for anybody who encountered me and all that. But even funnier was people who, like, went to the golf course, and the following day they did a little something. We played clip four. So these people are at the hole where the fight went down. It looks familiar from those of you who joined us last week. There's an rip sign. They Put up a little flag stick commemorating where that guy got beat down and thrown into the lake.

[John Ashbrook]

Quote, underneath the rip says fucking cry about it. Close quote.

[Michael Duncan]

That's what that guy was shouting. And I also give him credit because like good for him to put out that video of being like, man, I was drunk, huge mistake. That's, that's what a man does.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. No, no, I like the way that he handled it. Although, like, it's a shame it wasn't earlier.

[Michael Duncan]

But you know, everyone has the good days and bad days, but owning up to him, you know, that makes you a man.

[Josh Holmes]

I like it. I like it. All right, next story. Listen, there is. You guys know Uno? Yes, the game Uno.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's a great game.

[Josh Holmes]

It's like what you play with your kids when you're on a beach vacation or a trip to the lake and it rains, you know. Cause it's like the one thing your 4 year old can understand. And it's fun. It's a fun game. So Vegas casinos are now opening up Uno.

[Comfortably Smug]

Let's go.

[Josh Holmes]

In casinos they're like having. Now it's initially there's like a non wagering event, but apparently this is according to Newsweek. For many Americans, casinos may conjure up glamorous images of James Bond style sophistication and high roller strategy payoffs. But now a new venue is due to launch a game based on uno. The card game popular with families and children thanks to its simple rules, will be the attraction at a dedicated suite in Sin City this week with similar UNO venues planned. This is at the Palms Resort Casino where they're going to have an Uno car deal. What do we think of this, fellas?

[Michael Duncan]

This is the dorkiest shit ever. Pathetic. Dude, get out of here. It says here that's like more Uno clubs are expected to open across the US later this year. According to toy maker Mattel. It's like, dude, get out of here, you're playing Mattel games.

[Comfortably Smug]

Okay, here's go to the craps table. Look counterpoint, smug.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, I gotta hear this.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think this is a huge opportunity. Let me explain. Explain why when I go to a casino, you know, like with my wife, sometimes she gets intimidated at the idea of sitting there and betting and stuff. And she doesn't like the pressure of it. We're playing blackjack and she's like, hit stay. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. And I just want to take my money back. So a lot of times she'll just stand behind me and stuff. And we have fun and everything, bro.

[Michael Duncan]

That's what the. We've been at casinos.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

That's what the restaurants and the stores are for, bro. Well, we're there. But think about the craft table. But think about this. We'll roll the dice. And she doesn't want to do that, man. That's why they got the restaurants and they got the shows and they got the stores.

[Comfortably Smug]

Here's the thing. Smug. All of those things you just named cost money.

[Michael Duncan]

But, I mean, the gambling does too.

[Comfortably Smug]

If our wives could go and play Uno reverso and not spend any money, and we get to sit and play blackjack. Think about it. These UNO clubs could probably allow children in. Children aren't allowed on the casino.

[Michael Duncan]

This sounds even worse by the second. Here's how you get the children.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think it's fantastic because then. Then you don't have to deal with the issue of, like, you know, your wife's like, wow, my gosh, she just lost that hand.

[Josh Holmes]

So what you're saying, if I'm cutting to the chase here, is it's a good thing because it occupies your wife's time while you're betting away, your family finds.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know how, like, a resort has a kids club.

[Josh Holmes]

That's what this is.

[Comfortably Smug]

This is the kiddie casino club.

[Michael Duncan]

It's horrible.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think it's a great idea.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, I mean, if you're gonna have to encounter it. I mean, geez, you've seen some of these casinos lately. Like, they just let anybody in there, if he could just siphon some of them off for a simple game of mind.

[Michael Duncan]

I like that they let anyone in there. Like, you know when you're sitting at. When I was recently in Vegas, and you look around the craps table and you're like, man, this is some of the worst folks around.

[Comfortably Smug]

But we're in this together.

[Michael Duncan]

Just don't roll seven, brother. Let's keep this going. It brings people together. All us dregs united, hoping he hits that hard eight, bro. Let's get that. 10 to 1. That shit is fun. Uno. That's killing it. That's killing the vibe.

[John Ashbrook]

I have a question for Duncan.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

If the kids are in the casino kids club playing Uno.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Would there be an opportunity to bet on that game? So in other words, like a para mutual. As an adult, you could bet on which kid you think is gonna win.

[Josh Holmes]

And which one that I could get interested if we could bet on the ch.

[Comfortably Smug]

Children. Right.

[Josh Holmes]

And. Or wives.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Being able to bet on the outcome of the uno sort of Like a synthetic cdo. Yeah, you know, like we're sitting through the. The glass and we're watching the children, seeing who's doing the discards and who's got the reverses. And we're placing wagers on that. I love it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it's like a. Like a para mutual type deal. We sit behind mirrored glass and we examine the competitors and then bet on their acumen.

[Comfortably Smug]

That is the most degenerate shit I've ever heard. I mean, that's worse than betting on the spelling bee.

[Josh Holmes]

No, no, we're bringing that back, folks. Just wait. Next spring. You're gonna love it. Betting on the dorks. I mean, that's just the way it works. But this is very similar.

[Comfortably Smug]

I love it. Ashbrook's got a great idea.

[Josh Holmes]

Gosh, this is good. Okay, well, Palms call us, we could administer a game that everybody's gonna be into. I can promise you that. They're gonna leave the craps tables in droves to bet on these little runts that they think can do a double reverse wild card.

[Comfortably Smug]

Look, all I'm saying is in casinos, somewhere, some places in Vegas, you can play war.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. High low.

[Comfortably Smug]

You can play high low.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, that is that.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, those UNO's not far off.

[Josh Holmes]

That's the one. Good luck, everybody.

[John Ashbrook]

Changing 500. I'll tell you what, when Smugs kid steps up to the UNO table, I'm going all in.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He's gonna be able to count cards.

[Michael Duncan]

Teach my kids blackjack first.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it's just.

[Michael Duncan]

No question we got three shoes in there, boy.

[Josh Holmes]

Dropping toothpicks on the escalator.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, I've been teaching.

[Josh Holmes]

Just. What was the show that Rain man watched?

[Comfortably Smug]

Wapner.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, and it was Jeopardy. Too.

[Comfortably Smug]

No.

[Josh Holmes]

Wow.

[Michael Duncan]

People's Court.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Wapner. Yeah. You gotta find a way to syndicate that. Listen, remember our question of the day is the time to start snubbing your liberal relatives. How do you see all that? Do you fight fire with fire? Do you try to take the offensive? Do you take more of the approach the Ruthless Variety Program is suggesting? Interested in your comments on it one way or the other. Let's get flavorful with that.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Because you all have had experiences with this nonsense, mostly incoming, you've had to figure out a way to counter punch on it. You can include some of that.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Maybe you already have a mutual snub underway. Yeah, give us the color there.

[Josh Holmes]

And maybe there's like a nine month ramp up into your snubbing as you're going into a Thanksgiving or that kind of thing.

[Comfortably Smug]

Even if it's just a virtual snub. Maybe you've blocked each other on Facebook. I want to hear it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, well, when you like and subscribe to the Ruthless Friday program, you can comment. We will read it and you will be on next week's episode. Thanks a bunch, boys. Listen, there's a lot going on this week. I'm feeling real good. Yeah, feels like a heater. Yeah, feels like a heater this week. So with that, I think we did it.

[Michael Duncan]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen, thank you so much to the minions. And for the new folks who have not yet, be sure to like and subscribe to the YouTube. It's more fun in video. So until next time, Minions, keep the faith, hold the line and own the libs. We'll see you Thursday. Stay Ruthless.